Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Midnight Interlude

Chapter Three

Inuyasha stared wide eyed into the cold ones in front of him. Suddenly the gravity of what he had done hit him. He had submitted to Sesshoumaru without even a word of protest, just as he had done that night. This realization brought forth renewed struggling. His body was shaking as he pushed Sesshoumaru away, "Get away from me! Let go you beast!" Sesshoumaru had no intention of doing that, he pressed Inuyasha firmly against the tree and growled dangerously, "Stop it!"

Inuyasha was not about to submit himself to pain and hurt again, he did not want to reopen old wounds that were still healing. "Please... Please let me go... I can't take it.. not again. I gave you my everything that night.. I gave you my heart, my body and soul so easily and you discarded me... it hurt more than it did all those years you rejected me as a hanyou. Please... Sesshoumaru.. leave me be." Taking advantage of Sesshoumaru's momentary confusion he pushed the taiyoukai off him and ran at his top speed away from him.

Sesshoumaru stood there dumbfounded, 'What night? Little brother.. what are you talking about, why do I feel responsible for this hurt you carry, why do I feel responsible for your tears? Why do I not remember us? Something is not right here!'

Inuyasha ran, his feet taking him somewhere on their own accord. Away from the object of his misery, away from the object of his affections. He soon realized he was running home. Where things were normal, where he had his son he could watch for hours and forget his pain, to a place where he was wanted. He passed through the village in nothing but a blur of white, the scent of his silent tears polluting the fresh air. Everybody looked his way he passed through with concern, and Inuyasha did not want to face their questions even though they would be well meaning. He easily slipped into his house hoping not to draw his all too wise son's attention. He was out of luck, Kiyoshi was sitting with Midori when he looked up at Inuyasha and growled.

Inuyasha's eyes were hidden by silvery bangs but their was no mistaking the sadness that lingered in his father's aura and the air around him was heavy with the scent of tears. When the child moved to speak to him, Inuyasha lifted his hand to stop him. "I don't want to hear it, we will discuss this later." he was walking away when Kiyoshi protested, "But.. Father..." Inuyasha stilled and spoke in a dangerously low voice, "Kiyoshi, you speak another word now than I swear I will take out all my frustrations on you." Kiyoshi fell silent and Inuyasha left to his chambers to cool himself.

Inuyasha relaxed into the personal bath that was just outside his chambers enclosed in a private area. He had to calm himself. He was being too emotional, he was giving Sesshoumaru free reign over him and that would not do. He had a son to take care of now, he could just not go off throwing his heart away and putting himself at the mercy of others. He needed to be strong so Kiyoshi could be safe. He could not push away the fact that Sesshoumaru had the right to know of Kiyoshi's parentage, he had the right to know of his own son. A son he could be immensely proud of, unlike Inuyasha whom he despised all his life. Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed, 'Aniki... why did you come back? Why? What do you need from me that you haven't already taken?'

Suddenly Inuyasha's heart stilled, a very, very disturbing thought came to his mind. "Kiyoshi.." his eyes widened in horror, 'No! Not my child! He is the only thing I have in this world, I won't let you take him too!' Inuyasha wildly searched his mind for something that would help him escape Sesshoumaru forever. He knew he could not go from one village to other running away from his brother, his mate. He had Kiyoshi now and he has grown. Last time when he ran from his brother, Kiyoshi was still inside his body, growing happily while his father struggled to find him a home where he could be respected and safe. He groaned and sank into the water, his mind full of frantic and frightening thoughts, "I found a kinder of happiness, a ray of hope in my son, is even that not acceptable to you? How much more do you want me to suffer? Why do you hate me so much to put constant unending pain in my life?" Inuyasha murmured to whoever was control his fate.

He submerged fully into the warm water, letting beautiful snow white hair float about him. He tried to close his mind to all thoughts and just relaxing in his moment of peace. He came out for air and settled back again, the memory of that one magical night haunted his mind and he allowed himself to feel what he felt that night. Every kiss, every touch, every whispered word was etched permanently on his mind.

He walked through the woods wanting some solitude. Even though he hated to be lonely, sometimes he just wished to get away from everybody and think, or relax without having to answer their probing questions on what he was thinking or why he was relaxing and if he was alright. If he would not answer, Kagome would sit him until he did answer and that annoyed him. He had the right to get lost in his own thoughts and he had a right to relax, moreover he had the right to keep his thoughts to himself. That was why he was away from camp that night on the pretense of scouting the area of demons. The wise one, Miroku understood his unspoken wish be alone for a moment and let him leave alone. He had said then that he would be back by morning and left before they could protest.

He did not know how long he walked. Enjoying private time with himself lost in his thoughts, both happy and sad. But all thoughts seemed to have vanished when he came upon his brother. He was just resting on the ground, hands cradling his head, half lidded gold eyes staring endlessly at the moon in its full glory. He had never seen his brother so relaxed, so without a care for the world, but then when did he ever care? He always did what he thought was appropriate. He was about to turn and walk away when his brother's soft yet emotionless voice stopped him, "Inuyasha.. where are you going?"

He stilled for a moment and then without turning about he murmured, "I did not know you were here, I did not want to intrude." Sesshoumaru did not move from his place, it seemed he was in no mood to fight. Not wanting to confront his brother now he started to leave when his brother stopped him again, "Sit with me Inuyasha." that was a shock, his brother asking, or commanding him, to sit with him. Uncertain whether his brother was alright he reluctantly walked over him and sat down.

"Do you know what tonight is hanyou?" he looked at Sesshoumaru, unsure where he was heading he shook his head stating silently that he had no idea. The taiyoukai seemed to frown at his reply and said, "Tonight is the night you were born and our father was killed, exactly 200 years from this very night." he froze when he heard that. He did not know which day he was born, nobody ever informed him of that. He laid back and looked at the moon too, taking up the same position as Sesshoumaru, "You are fucking lucky you know that?" he said to the youkai, not willing to pass on an opportunity to get close to his brother. "At least you know how he was like, our father, at least you had a father." he laughed mirthlessly, "You are more lucky than you give yourself credit for. The only thing I have of father is his blood running through my veins and his sword. You have memories, you have experience of his care. Keh! I don't even know how his voice was like, how he smiled, if he smiled. I don't even know how he looked like. What I know of him his what I heard from others, do you know what that feels like?"

Sesshoumaru turned to him then, one eyebrow raised, "Why would you want to know such trivial things? You know father was a great demon, feared and respected." Inuyasha shrugged, "Does that matter? To me, his son? Do you know how many nights slept under the sky, alone in this unforgiving world wishing that for once I could feel his arms around me, protecting me, shielding me, calming my fears? Do you even know what it feels like? You, who are so perfect, so strong? You who had father for centuries! Your childhood was right, you were trained, groomed, cared and loved. I had nothing of that."

"What makes you think you deserve the care given to a pure breed?" Inuyasha laughed then, he could not help it. It always came down to that, all their arguments came down to his tainted blood. "I forgot." he spoke as he stood up and dusted his clothing and ran his finger's through his long shimmering hair saying, "I forget sometimes, forget that I am not wanted here, I forget that I am supposed to hate you, it is so easy to forget."

His wrist was caught in a vice like grip and he turned to face his brother, "What?" Sesshoumaru was frowning at him, his eyes looking deep into his, "What do you mean when you say you are supposed to hate me?" Inuyasha turned his gaze away from those searching eyes, cursing himself for reveling such a thing to his perceptive brother. He pulled on his hand, trying to free it from his brother's grip making his brother to tighten his grip painfully. Forcefully he was pulled down and he fell haphazardly on Sesshoumaru, laying sprawled on his chest. Unconsciously he dug his face into the warm chest and breathed in Sesshoumaru's scent, intoxicated by it. One hand wrapped around his waist and other pulled on his hair to bring his head up so Sesshoumaru could look into his eyes.

He did not know what Sesshoumaru saw but he knew it was of great magnitude for his brother's face seemed to show it's first expression, it was that of amazement. One hand released his hair and came down to caress the skin in his face with a tenderness he always assumed would be beyond Sesshoumaru. Even at that little touch Inuyasha could feel his whole body flame up with forbidden desire. A shiver coursed through him as he felt the glide of those rough fingers over his sensitive skin. Sesshoumaru held his gaze with ease, Inuyasha just could not turn away. Leaving himself open and letting his brother see everything he had kept hidden for so long.

Sesshoumaru brought their faces closer, their lips a mere whisper apart and he asked, "Inu... How long have you been in love with me?" his voice was husky and heavy with some untold emotion, was it lust, or care or love, he did not know, he did not care. For that one moment he was getting something he only could dream of. Only one delicate touch, that was all his wanted, he could not hope for more, "Forever aniki... forever." and his lips were seized in a searing kiss.

"That night aniki, that night you shattered my soul, I gave you my everything, I was so wrong in trusting you." Inuyasha sighed and got out of the bath and dressed absentmindedly. His mind clouded with images of that night. At one point he thought that he just had to reach out and Sesshoumaru would be there, loving him as no one before him had done. Shaking his head he walked out of his chambers to see his son sitting with Midori with a troubled look in his face, he was worried about him. Inuyasha sighed and knelt before Kiyoshi, brushing his hair of his forehead he said, "Forgive me little one, I did not mean to snap at you like that, you had every right to question me."

"Father? Was Uncle Sesshoumaru the reason for your sadness?" Inuyasha bowed in his head to hide his eyes and nodded. Kiyoshi frowned, he had known that the youkai was trouble when he saw the way his dad looked at him, but he did not know why. Why would his father's own brother cause him to cry? Unless...

Kiyoshi looked at his father with concerned eyes and asked softly, "Dad... he is the father isn't he?" Inuyasha did not fail to notice that Kiyoshi referred to his other parent as the father, not his father. "Yes Kiyoshi, he is your father." Kiyoshi shook his head and looked at his father sternly, "No dad, he is the father you love so much and I hate with passion!" Inuyasha head snapped towards his son, eyes widening in horror. He quickly got to his feet and desperately said, "Iie pup! You do not hate him! Hate is too powerful of an emotion for you to understand, you do not even know him!"

"I have no desire to know such a disgraceful man." he said calmly, waving his hand elegantly through the air, "I have only one father of whom I am immensely proud. He has true pride and honor, he is responsible and caring. I have no need for a father with false pride and dignity. Lord Sesshoumaru is nothing but my father's brother to me. I would be more than happy if he does not show his face to me all my life." Inuyasha's knees started to feel weak, this was just too much to take in. He had not raised his son to hate Sesshoumaru, in fact he had done everything in his power to let Kiyoshi know that his other parent was powerful, honorable and wise.

"Kiyoshi no... how can you speak like that of your own father, I did not raise you like that!" Kiyoshi looked into Inuyasha's eyes and said, "You think I did not see? You think I do not know? The sadness never leaves your eyes. I hate him because he has so much of your love, he does not deserve it!" He was about to speak something when he was stopped when a familiar aura stood at his door. He turned to look at the with wide eyes, "Kouga!"

Before he knew what was happening he was on the ground holding a bruised cheek. "How dare you!" Kouga growled as he approached the hanyou menacingly, "How dare you lowly half breed! You left them alone and came to settle peacefully in this demon village! While we were searching hell and high heavens for you!" There was a dangerous growl from behind him which made Kouga look over his shoulder at a young, but extremely powerful demon pup. He frowned at him and asked, "Who are you." Inuyasha stood and dusted his clothing, "My son Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi this is Kouga, my former rival." The demon pup relaxed as Kouga tensed.

He moved quickly to grab the front of Inuyasha's haori and growled, "You left without telling anybody! This is your pack loyalty! Kagome was shattered when you did that! She loved you, do you know that? She was ready to give you the jewel so you could become a human and stay with her in her time! You broke her heart by running of like that, just to mate with some demon bitch?" Inuyasha opened his mouth to explain but Kouga cut him off, "You proved to me that you are no demon, you are just a half breed, I respected you, you were strong and loyal, I did not know I would be so wrong."

"Take your hands off him wolf prince or loose them." Sesshoumaru stood at the there, with his arms crossed, just behind his son who was in a similar stance, both staring with cold eyes at Kouga. Inuyasha looked at the three demons and wondered how this came to be, two people he had not seen in eight years suddenly appeared out of no where just when his life was starting to get a little bit peaceful. What were the chances of that happening? His body went through a wave of weakness, everything was too much to grasp and his knees went weak. He thankfully submitted to the darkness that over took his mind.

Sesshoumaru was quick to react when Inuyasha fell and moved to catch him before he touched the ground. "What impeccable timing koishii." he smirked as he cradled the limp Inuyasha to him and looked at Kiyoshi who was glaring hatefully at him. Then he turned to Kouga, raising an eyebrow, "I suggest you think before you act wolf prince Kouga. You know nothing of the circumstances in which Inuyasha left you." Kouga crossed his arms and said, "I don't need to know anything." He followed Sesshoumaru in when he took Inuyasha to his chambers and gently laid Inuyasha down on the silk laden futon. "Yes you do, first of all Inuyasha would have not survived in that ningen's home being a human. He is a demon, that will always be a part of him. She is not worth such sacrifices if she wishes for him to be anything other than what he is now."

Tucking Inuyasha in he looked at Kiyoshi, "Come here." the demon pup walked up to the taiyoukai calmly and raised an eyebrow in question. Sesshoumaru just looked deep into the golden eyes so similar to his and continued, "And it was pack loyalty that made Inuyasha stay till the end of Naraku, even though he was risking his, as well as Kiyoshi's life." that made Kouga curious as he asked, "Kiyoshi's life?" Sesshoumaru nodded as one clawed finger traced the faint demon markings on his son's face with fascination, "Hai, Kiyoshi's life, he fought Naraku while he was pregnant with Kiyoshi." Kouga gasped and looked at Inuyasha with wide eyes, "Are you telling me that Inuyasha was a carrier of this pup?"

"Hai, I was unaware of this ability of Inuyasha's, our father must have done something to enable Inuyasha to become a carrier."

"Is that why you left him? Because you thought he could not produce heirs?" his son's question caused both demons to fall silent. His son's frigid eyes glared into his and said, "And now you want him back? Because of me? Is that it?" Sesshoumaru shook his elegant head slightly and said, "I have no recollection of ever mating Inuyasha pup. It is when I see you that I know it happened." Kiyoshi looked at him with serious eyes, but he seemed to believe him. He seemed to know that Sesshoumaru did not lie in matters like this. "Then would you care to explain to me Father, why you have no recollection of it while my dad spends day in and day out thinking of you and wasting his life away?"

"I have every intention of finding that out." was Sesshoumaru's only answer. 'I also intend to have you back in my arms koishii, it is where you belong.'